Downspout spray drain



Jan; 20, 1959 I G. L. AYERS 2,869,927

DOWNSPOUT SPRAY DRAIN Filed Aug. 22, 1955 2 Sheets-Shee t 1 IZZEJT. 2.4::

Geo ryefigers Jan. 20, 1959 G. L. AYERS DOWNSPOUT SPRAY DRAIN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 22, 1955 United States Patent DOWNSPOUT SPRAY DRAIN George L. Ayers, La Grange Park, Ill.

Application August 22, 1955, Serial No. 529,722

l'Claim. (Cl. 299133) This invention relates to deflectors and more particularly to deflector attachments for rain-spouts and other liquid carrying conduits.

Frequently, rain-spouts are connected to sewer lines which are sized to carry otf the flow of water from normal rain falls. When heavier than normal falls of rain or cloud-bursts are experienced the sewer lines quickly become overloaded. As a result, flooding occurs. When basements or other enclosures are flooded serious damage may result to contents and to floors and walls. Even land surfaces, streets and sidewalks may be damaged and become dangerous from excessive waterflow or the freezing of standing water. Often, these conditions can be rectified only by the expensive installation of larger mains or storm sewers.

The deflector of this invention seeks to cure these objections. The constructions provided are attachments for down-spouts or other conduits which spray excessive amounts of water over an area thereby delaying run-offs through ground seepage.

An important object, then, of the present invention is the provision of a deflector for diverting and spraying some of the flow in a down-spout or other conduit during heavier than normal flow of liquid.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a deflector which permits the drainage of normal rain-falls into a sewer line or cistern and diverts and sprays excessive flows over a ground area for delayed seepage.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a deflector for rain-spouts and other conduits adapted to automatically cut-ofl a partialflow' of rain-water therein to a cistern or sewer line.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of a down-spout, illustrating the attachment of a deflector device constructed in accordance with principles of this invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view in elevation of the downspout and deflector attachment illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary View of the operative arrangement of a deflector attachment to a down-spout mounted on a building and illustrating the spray deflection of rain Water over an area of adjacent land surface;

Figure 4 is a modified form of construction of a spray deflector of a type arranged to be mounted on an end of a down-spout;

Figure 5 is a top plan view in elevation ofthe deflector shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is another modified form of construction of a spray deflector having a spring-loaded spray plate at the outlet end thereof; and,

Figure 7 is a front face view of the deflector'shown in Figure 6.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, there is shown in Figure 3 a house or other building 10 to which is 'ice 2 attached a trough 11 for catching rain flow down the sloping roof, and a downspout 12 for carrying the rain from the trough to a' cistern, sewer, or the like. A deflector 13 is shown as being mounted on the downspout intermediate the ends thereof but relatively close to the ground in order that rain water be sprayed, as shown at 14, over a fairly large ground surface area away from the building. The area over which the spray is eifective may be varied by increasing the height above the ground surface at which the deflector is mounted or by the distance the deflector is located away from the building. Too great a height is not desirable as the spray may be blown against the building or over passersby.

As best shown in Figures 1 and 2, an assemblyopening 15 is provided in the sidewall of the down-spout 12. This opening is sufliciently large for the free insertion of one end 16 of a deflector tube 17. The tube is shaped to provide a substantially horizontal intermediate portion 18 terminating in up-turned ends 16 and 19. It will be noted that the outer end 19 terminates at a level above the inner end 16 for a purpose to be more fully explained later herein. The length of the body 18 of the deflector tube may be varied depending on the distance desired in locating the spray end 19 from the building or a particular location of a seepage area.

A mounting sleeve 20 has an opening 21 through which the deflector tube extends. Solder, brazing, or like means 22 serve to secure the tube in place. The sleeve is preferably of split construction, sized to embrace the downspout, with the ends 23 and 24 in spaced relation. The spaced ends are drawn toward each other by bolts, springs, or other tension means 25, 25 to hold the split sleeve tightly mounted on the down-spout. Any spaces 26, 26 between the sleeve and down-spout are closed at the ends of the sleeve by a sealer such as putty 27, or the like.

It will be observed that the deflector tube 17 is of smaller diameter than the down-spout. The peripheral space betweenthem (Figure 2) permits the run-off into a cistern or sewer of a normal flow of water. Under such conditions, Waterentering the deflector tube is not forced out of the end 19 as the head pressure is not sufficiently great to raise the water to the higher level of the outlet end. It is preferred that the curved portion of the deflector tube, immediately below the inner end 16, be the lowest point along its length. The provision of drainage openings 28, 28 at such a low point serves to keep the tube free of any water which might otherwise freeze and cause damage.

However, when the water flow is such as to fill or nearly fill the down-spout, resulting from heavier than normal rains or cloud-bursts, the excess is forced into the deflector tube 17. Under these conditions, the head pressure is suflicient to force water through the higher outlet end 19. In order that the outlet flow be a sheetlike spray and not a solid stream, the end 19 is shaped as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The lip 29 is bent inwardly and curved laterally in a direction opposite the curve of the wall from which it is bent with the depression being of greatest depth at the outlet end edge and tapering downwardly to the normal contour of the tube. There is thus provided forwardly tapered and angularly extending troughs 30 and 31 on opposite sides of the lip. The water discharged through the troughs is emitted in diverging jet streams forming sprays. The water so distributed over a relatively large ground area eflects a delayed run-01f as seepage.

In Figures 4 and 5 are illustrated a modified form of construction of a spray deflector 32. An elbow member 33 is sized at one end 34 to snugly embrace the free end of a downwardly extending rain-spout or other conduit. The other or discharge end 19a is shaped in :1

manner similart'o and for the same purpose as the discharge end 19 of the deflector 13'. There is thus provided a lip 29a defining angularly extending and forwardly tapering troughs 30a and 31a. Also, openings 253a, 28a at the bottom of the elbow serve to drain the interior of standing water and thereby prevent damage through rust, freezing, etc.

In Figures 6 and 7 are illustrated a further modified form of construction. An elbow member 34 is sized at one end to snugly fit over and embrace the free end of a downwardly extending rain-spout or other conduit, simi lar to the deflector illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. A forwardly projecting or discharge end 35 is shaped by an edge 36 extending angularly upward and forward. A cover'plate 37 preferably is removably attached to the discharge end. An angle bracket 33 has one leg suitably secured to the underside of the discharge end of the deflector and the other leg extended downwardly substantially parallel to the angular edge .36. A presser plate 39 is secured to the downward leg of the bracket 38 in spaced relation therefrom by an interposed coiled spring 40 and a holding and adjusting bolt 41. The bolt entends through the plate 319. and spring 40 into threaded engagement with the downward leg of the bracket 38.

The lower end of the cover plate is inserted under the Coiled springs 47 and 48 embrace, respectively, the bolts between the heads. thereof and the clamping plate. Adjustable, spring pressure is thereby applied through the plate 44 to. the cover plate substantially diametrically thereof.

In order that the cover plate normally seal the discharge end of the deflector, a grommet 49 is secured to the inside of the deflector at the angular edge 36. If desired, the seal may be formed as a ring of mastic mate rial, or the like.

As shown in Figure 6, the cover plate 37 pivots at its lower end beneath the plate 39 away from the edge 36 when subjected to suflicient pressure through water to be discharged. A normal flow of water through the down-spout is discharged through drainage openings (not shown) in the bottom wall of the deflector, in the same manner as described previously with the other forms of construction. As the water flow increases the head pressure deflects the, lip end, of the. cover plate, as shown in dotted lines. The relatively thin sheet of water emitting underpressure from the space so formed breaks up into 4. a spray which falls over a relatively large ground area and is eventually carried away by seepage.

To insure the adequate carrying away of water before the build up of sufficicnt pressure to deflect the cover plate 37 away from the edge 36, there may be provided groove or slots 50, 50 in the edge 36. These slots may be in lieu of or in addition to drainage openings provided in the bottom of the elbow.

It is to be understood that the forms of invention herewith shown a nd described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same but that other various changes in shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing fromthe spi'rit'of the invention or the scope of the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

A spray deflector for a liquid carrying conduit comprising a tubular body portion extending laterally of the conduit and having an inlet end in alignment axially of the conduit and" facing a flow therein, the other end having edges lying in one plane extending angularly upward ly and outwardly to form a downwardly facing inclined discharge opening, a plate normally abutting said edges and covering said discharge end, laterally opposed brackets on the discharge end of the body portion closely adjacent to the inclined edges thereof, a clamping strap overlying and bridging the covering plate laterally, said strap being of such length that its end portions extend beyond the complement-a1 edges of the clamping plate and in register one with each bracket, spring-pressed means conmeeting the end portions of the clamping strap one with each bracket, otherspring-pressed means carried by the body portion and engaging the covering plate at its perimeter midway between the opposed brackets, said first named" spring-pressed means normally holding the covering plate in coveringposition and collapsing when subjectedto a predetermined flow pressure in the conduit to permit pivotal movement of the plate about said engaged perimeter and away from said discharge end, and openings on-.the abutted edges of the conduit for drainage thereof when the plate'is in covering position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 593,185v Baird Nov. 9, 1897 758,479 Sandvig Apr. 26, 1904 1,081,667 Grann Dec. 16, 1913 1,693,556 Spencer Nov. 27, 1928 1,705,188 Kelly Mar. 12, 1929 1,815,535 Weitzel July 21, 1931 2,219,452 Moniti Oct. 29, 1940 2,567,004 Benck Sept. 4, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 490,771. France Jan. 10, 1-919 620,374 Great Britain Mar. 23, 1949 

